The term “controlled transfer of volatile gases or gaseous molecules” is used to indicate that the device is capable of either absorbing a gas or gaseous molecules present in the packaged food product and in the immediate environment of the said product, or of diffusing a gas or gaseous molecules in this food product and in the immediate environment of this product over a prolonged period of time, in particular the period extending over several weeks to several months that frequently separate the filling of the container and the opening of the said container by the consumer.
The “food product” in question is in particular wine but it may also be beer, or fruit juices, or vegetable juices, or, in a more general manner, liquid or semi-liquid food products.
The term “closure” is used to refer to any type of means to be used for closing off a container, in particular a tap valve designed to be fitted on to packaging for beverages made out of flexible synthetic material known by popular names such as pouches and “Bag-In-Box®”.
The term “container”, which shall exclusively be used in the present description, is to be understood in the most general manner, as including all types of containers, in particular flexible pouches or bags such as those used for wine packaging solutions known under the trade name “Bag-In-Box®”, cubitainers, cardboard based parallelepipedic packages referred to as “bricks”, diverse containers, barrels, casks, bottles, etc.
Apart from traditional containers that simply perform the functions of containment and physical protection of food products against the environmental factors encountered throughout the life cycle of the products, there are also containers that are referred to as “active” containers, which include absorption or diffusion devices for absorbing or diffusing one or more solid active products acting in a controlled manner on the food content in order to enhance and maintain the quality all across the entire distribution chain. These diffusion means are in particular contained in the walls and in the closure systems of these containers.
Existing devices are concerned with solid active products and are thus not designed nor adapted to bring about absorption or diffusion of a gas or gaseous molecules in a liquid or semi-liquid food product, in a sustained and controlled manner.